FAMILY REUNION
by Saeshmea
Summary: Right when Martha is finding out her feelings for Lionel, someone arrives at her life after a long time, with some surprises and really needing help. How is her new situation and the new characters affect her possible relationship with the millionaire?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the characters that never were in Smallville series.**_

_**A/N: I really don't know where I'm going with the story… I just began to write and this is what I get… So I have no idea of what could happen, or how long will it be. I just hope you like it. I needed a new story… like always… .. . but I'll try to keep updating the others, don't worry^^**_

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**Family reunion - 1**

**.**

Martha was attending a table in the Talon when noticed Lionel coming in, she glanced at him while she walked to the coffee machine… He'd sat down away from the crowd and facing the bar, right where he had the best look of all her movements. He always sat down in the same table, and ignored the rest of waitress until Martha came to ask him. She'd noticed that during the last weeks and that was why she was smiling while she served the coffees and the juice she'd been asked. But when she glanced at him again, he wasn't alone.

In front of him, blocking the sight, there was sitting down a brown-haired lady wearing very high heels and crossing her legs. She was wearing a very short skirt and it seemed like she was talking very friendly with him.

Martha's face changed immediately. She stepped back to attend another table but, no… then she encouraged herself and walked to him, as she wanted to do before… to know who that… lady… was.

"Hi, Lionel" she said trying to show her best smile "Will you take a coffee with some milk and a muffing, like always?" she asked.

"Yes, please" he answered

"And what would the lady like to drink?" she wondered not able to show that smile again.

"Oh… no, Martha… the lady's not with me…" he muttered moving his hand nervously but enjoying that point of jealousy that suddenly flattered on her face.

"Martha?" the woman repeated her name turning around to her "Oh my gosh, look at you!" she stood up and embraced her.

"Excuse me" Martha broke the embrace apart.

"Don't you recognize me?" the lady said stepping back so Martha could look at her better.

"Elisabeth!" Martha exclaimed with wild-opened eyes.

"That's me!"

"Excuse me, ladies… I think I got lost…" Lionel said standing up "Are you old friends?"

"Not exactly" Martha said.

"Sorry sweetie… I'm Beth, and she's the sister of mine that I was talking you about"

"Oh! Nice to meet you! It's always a pleasure to meet Martha's family" Lionel said offering his hand to her, but instead of shaking hands, Elisabeth embraced him.

"Alright!" Martha interrupted "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I come to visit my sister?"

"I hadn't seen you since granny's funeral…" Martha pointed.

"You see… it was time for a family reunion"

Martha was beginning to get upset, but she noticed some costumers looking at their scene, so she tried to calm down.

"Would you like a coffee?" she offered.

"I'd love to… but the kids are outside and…"

"Kids?" Martha asked confused.

"Yes, my kids… your nephews…"

"I think I would remember if you'd ever mentioned that…" Martha said very upset "… my nephews?" she interrupted herself with a cry on her voice and some tears on her eyes.

"Yes"

"Can I…?" Martha wondered.

"Sure!" her sister exclaimed taking her hand and taking her outside.

"Julie could you close the café today?" Martha asked to one of the waitress "I have something important to attend" but when she finished her sentence she already was outside.

"No problem" the girl said.

"I'll tell her…" Lionel told the girl going behind the bar to take Martha's bag and jacket and following the steps of the two ladies. When he crossed the street he met them in front of an eleven-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl holding a baby buggy.

"Martha, these are Tom, Sue and little Rachel" Elisabeth said "Guys, this is your aunty, say hello, please"

"Nice to meet you Aunt Martha" the two older ones said at the same time.

"Oh my…" Martha began to cry and hugged the kids kissing their little heads and holding the baby's hands. "Why did you never…?" and it was then when she noticed the suitcases behind the children. "What's that luggage for?"

"I supposed we could stay at your place for a while" Elisabeth muttered smiling while her sister gave her a very bad look.

"You'll never change" Martha said changing her serious face for a sweet smile when she turned to the kids again "You're gonna love the farm, kids" she said causing a smile on those little faces "…but we'll have to wait for Clark 'cause he has the car…".

"I could drive you" Lionel interrupted making his presence to be notice at least for everybody and handing Martha her bag and jacket.

"Oh… thank you Lionel" she said taking them "But it's not necessary that…"

"Thank you sweetie…" Elisabeth said already taking a couple of suitcases "Where's your car?"

"have you ever gone in a limousine?" he asked looking at the large black car parked on the corner.

.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Chapter 2

**Family reunion - 2**

"I can't believe you still living in this… place" Elisabeth left go when they arrived into the farm.

Martha ignored her comment and went out of the car. The kids followed her and looked around.

"This is the farm, kids" she said "Do you like it?"

"Is it a real farm? Do you have animals?" they wondered.

"There are cows and horses"

"Oh, can we ride them, aunty?" Susan asked holding Martha's arm.

"Sure. Tomorrow in the morning I'll show you the way to the lake"

"Come on, kids… let's go inside!" Elisabeth exclaimed wheeling the buggy "You really want to taste your auntie's food… is much better than mine"

Martha stood there looking at the kids running to the house and smiling.

"They seem nice" Lionel said taking the luggage out from the car.

"They really do, don't they?" Her look was still at the same point.

"There must be a good reason why she hasn't told you about them, Martha… "

"I just know she must really need something if she's come back after so much time" Martha told.

"All I can say you is she's been living in Florida for a long time"

"What? How do you…? You knew I had a sister!" she exclaimed facing him.

"I used to investigate your family, which includes your relatives…"

"But you never…"

"I imagined you had your own reasons to not mentioning her… so I didn't… Oh…! I didn't want to remember you what I used to do, alright? That's it…" he finally confessed. "I'm sorry"

"It's ok…" she said looking at the opened door of her house "How the hell has she opened that door?" she suddenly cursed walking inside and leaving Lionel alone with the suitcases.

When she came into the house, Martha found her sister already drinking some coffee and looking into the fridge for something to eat.

"Wasn't the door closed?" she wondered.

"It was…" Elisabeth said taking her head out from the fridge "…but I found the key" and she showed it to her sister "I thought after so many years you would stop hiding it at the same place that mummy hid it at home… on top of the door's frame…"

"I…" Martha muttered, and then she let go a kind of groan taking the key from her hand and walking out.

"Are you alright?" Lionel wondered leaving the luggage at the entrance while Martha hid the key again, in the same place.

"No!" Martha shouted "How could I be alright having this… woman… at my home!"

"Aunt Martha…" A shy voice said from the frame door and Martha turned around.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"I'm… I'm hungry"

"Oh… of course… do you like lasagna?" she asked, and the girl nodded "Well… then you could maybe help me prepare it for dinner, would you like that?" and the girl nodded again "Wonderful! What about if meanwhile you ask your brother to hand you some of the cookies I have in that big jar up there… He can have some too"

"I better leave… you must have lots of things to talk about and… I don't want to disturb"

"Lionel…"

"Yes?"

"Do you still investigating us?" Martha wondered.

"I don't…" but his eyes didn't agree and Martha's looked show him she'd noticed that. "I just keep an eye on you two" he confessed referring to her and Clark "But I swear it's not with the same intentions that…"

"Could you tell me more about her?"

"About your sister" he asked and she nodded. "I guess I could do some calls and…"

"I just want to know if anything's wrong…" she said.

"I'll call you as soon as I find out something" he answered caressing her cheek in an instinctive movement and quickly kipping that hand on his pocket "See you soon"

"See you…" she said "…and thank you"

"It's always a pleasure, Martha" he said turning around to make a last glance at her. And she placed a hand on her cheek like trying to keep the warm his hand had left on it.

….

Clark came back home later than normal and after closing the door he could smell the dinner almost ready in the kitchen.

"Hi mom!" he shouted leaving his things at the hall and coming into the dining room. But his mother wasn't there… instead of her, there was a young girl putting the glasses on the table. "Hi" Clark said.

The girl looked at him and hid behind a chair shyly.

"Oh… hi sweetheart" Martha said carrying the lasagna onto the table. "Susan… you don't need to hide… this is Clark… my son"

"Hi Susan" Clark said smiling at the girl right when Tom came out from the bathroom.

"This is Thomas, Clark… they are…"

"Oh my Gosh!" Elisabeth voice exclaimed coming downstairs "This man can't be that little boy you adopted, is him?"

"This is Elizabeth, Clark… she's my sister" Martha said "… and these are her kids"

"Call me Beth" she said kissing the boys cheeks, and then sat down on the table "Rachel felt asleep on your bed, sis… I hope you don't mind"

"Of course not" Martha said cutting the lasagna and letting go a noisy sight.

"Mom… could we have a chat?" Clark asked.

"We will" she said "After dinner" She was so serious that he didn't dare to reply.

….

After dinner the kids went to bed in Martha's room with their little sister and Elisabeth went to have a shower, so Martha stayed in the kitchen washing the dishes with Clark's help.

"I think you'd never mentioned me that you had a sister, did you?"

"Well… as you have been able to notice… we're not the best sisters in the world" she said.

"What about the kids? I'd had loved knowing I had little cousins"

"I would have loved knowing about my nephews too, but I met them this afternoon, Clark…" she told "Look…" and she left the glass she was washing in the sink again "The last time I saw Elisabeth was when our grandmother dead… A few months after the meteor-shower… I hadn't seen her in two years and she suddenly appeared saying she'd got married… I got very upset because she didn't let me know and dad got so mad that slapped her in the middle of the funeral… She came to the farm that afternoon, but I was so disappointed that I told her daddy was right… After that, she never came back… I tried to localize her but… it was impossible"

"Thirteen years is a long time…"

"I'm sorry I'd never told you about her, Clark… but it was easier for me to pretend she didn't exist than to always have the ghost of that stupid argument following me"

"It's ok, mom…" he held her wet hand and noticed Elisabeth at the door. "I'll go upstairs. Good night, mom" he kissed her cheek and left the kitchen "Good night Aunt Beth" he said while leaving.

"Good night" Elisabeth said coming in.

Martha continued with the glasses while her sister took the dishes from the table and approached the sink.

"Can I help?" she wondered.

"Where's their father?" Martha asked making room for her sister to help.

"Dead" she said.

"I'm sorry…"

"Thanks"

"Do you need money?" Martha wondered.

"No… I just need somewhere to stay for a while"

"Are you in any kind of troubles?"

"No, sis… don't worry, ok?"

"Why didn't you go to daddy's? The mansion's bigger…"

"I did, but… I didn't dare to ring the door… So we took the bus to Smallville"

"How could you never make a call? Never write a letter?" Martha suddenly wondered leaving the dishes and almost crying "Thirteen years, Elisabeth… Thirteen years without knowing anything about you! And now you appear all of a sudden with three kids I didn't know about!"

"I heard nothing about you ether until your husband appeared in all the newspapers" Elisabeth replied.

"Oh! But you knew where I was… you knew my address and my phone… I had no idea of where to find you!"

"That's because I didn't need anybody to find me!"

"I'm sure of that… because when you need help you're absolutely able to come on your own… that's what you always do! You did the same when we were kids, and you've done it again now" Martha angrily threw a glass to the floor and the noise was followed by a long silence. "You can sleep in the guest's room, it's the first door on the right" She said, and began to cry while her sister left, not really sure of the reason of her tears. Then, she listened to some steps coming down.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Where are you going to spend the night?" Clark wondered.

"On the coach…" she said hiding her face to not let him notice her tears. "It's going to be just a night, I'll think something for tomorrow"

"There's place in my bed…" he said "Come on… I don't want you crying alone in the sitting room"

Martha looked at her son and he held her hand while they climb upstairs.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I think I'm beginning to spoil this story… but anyway, thanks for your comments JUJUChick16… I guess we are the only Mionel fans that last being active on FanFiction *lol***_

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**Family reunion - 3**

**.**

Martha woke up when the sun light entered into the room by the window and feeling the warm of her son's arm around her waist. But she didn't move… maybe because she didn't want to awake him too so early or maybe because she felt safe and comfortable in his embrace, and she wasn't ready to confront the day that was expecting her out from those teenager sheets.

She did love her sister… She was thinking… but they had never been able to stand each other. They were so different! But she was the older one and she'd always felt like if she had to protect Elisabeth from everything… maybe because there was a point, after her mother's death, when their father stopped caring about what that unruly teenager was doing and she felt her responsibility to tell her sister she wasn't going by the right way. But she never listened! She was like a little child, and she still being… she'd just show it coming back with three children all of a sudden… How had she dared not to tell her she'd had kids?

The cry of the little baby sleeping on her bed took her back from her thoughts and Martha finally went out of the bed trying not to wake up Clark.

She opened her bedroom's door and found the baby crying between her still sleeping brother and sister… So she took her on her arms and went downstairs.

"Are you hungry, sweetheart?" she wondered while they entered into the kitchen "I'm going to make you a nice apple mush for breakfast" she said taking some pillows from the couch and putting them on the kitchen's floor so the baby could stay there. And after left little Rachel down, she stayed a long while staring at her little blue eyes… "You really look like mom…" she whispered with tears coming out "She would have loved meeting her grandsons and daughters, you know…" and she stood up and took two apples that began to peel.

"She did" a voice suddenly said behind her and she got frightened.

"Could you not do that!" she yelled out to her sister turning around "Who did what?"

"Mom…" Elisabeth said "I visited her yesterday on the morning with the kids before go to daddy's… I left a red tulip on her tomb, but I was surprised because it looked like nobody had been there for years"

"Well… you know dad's never been the kind of person who cares about taking flowers to a white stone"

"I know… but… what about you?" she asked sitting on the floor and placing the baby on her lap.

"I… I used to visit her very often… I used to take flowers to her and talk with her but… I had to stop" Martha served the mush in a bowl and took a spoon "Because every time I went there I end up crying thinking on how things changed after she left and how much I missed her" she sat down on the floor too, and approach the spoon to the baby. She tasted it and quickly opened her mouth smiling asking for more.

"She loves it!" Elisabeth said "What is it?"

"Just apple…" Martha told giving more to Rachel.

"Have you ever thought how different things would have been if mom was still alive?"

"Every single day" Martha said.

"I wouldn't have ever left if she hadn't gone" Elisabeth said with a low voice.

"She would have made daddy accept Jonathan" Martha added with a sob on her voice "… she would have loved him"

"I'm sorry for his death" Elisabeth said after a silence and looking at her sister "I heard it on the TV…"

"Thanks…" Martha muttered and continued feeding the baby when the other two kids came inside.

"Good morning, guys" Elisabeth said.

"Morning" Susan muttered sitting on one of the stools.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Martha asked giving the bowl to her sister and standing up.

"What can we ask?" Tom wondered.

"Anything" and Martha giggled "Come on, what's your favorite breakfast, young boy?"

He stood a while thinking, maybe wondering if her new aunt was kidding or not… and it was Susan the one to talk first.

"I like waffles!" she said knelt down on the chair and with a big smile on her face "With lots of chocolate"

"Waffles for the lady, then… And you, Thomas?"

"Can I have pancakes?"

"Sure!"

"With honey?"

"Anything you ask" Martha smiled and began to open and close cupboards.

"I'd like some muffins" Clark asked from the door.

"Oh… Good morning, sweetheart" Martha said "Chocolate muffins?"

"I wasn't serious, mom… You already have enough work…" he said kissing her cheek.

"No! It's ok… It will just take a while"

"You help me prepare the table, guys?" Clark asked to his cousins taking forks and spoons from the drawer.

* * *

After everybody had finished his favorite breakfast, Clark left to his college classes and Martha left her sister unpacking in the guest's room while she took Susan and Thomas for a ride, as she'd promised.

"You're good at it, Thomas" she said to the boy, who was riding on his own why she was sitting on the horse with Susan.

"Thanks, Aunty" he muttered going ahead.

"Aunt Martha…"

"Yes, Susan?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure… what is it?"

"Why have you never come to visit us in Florida?"

"Because… because I was very busy taking care of the farm" Martha said.

"That's what mummy said… and that it was a long journey… but I didn't found it so long on the bus… it was funny, wasn't it, Tommy?"

"Did your mother talked to you about me before?" Martha asked.

"Yes" Susan said.

"What did she say?"

"She always says that you would be a better mom than she" Tom said "That you had always had the makings of a good mom with your manners, and good cooking, and loving for children…"

"Is that what she says?" Martha stopped the horse, they'd reached the lake "…but I'm sure she's a good mom too…"

"She never cooks pancakes" Susan said while Martha helped her to come down the horse.

"Oh… but mothers don't just make breakfast, Sue… the most important thing we do is caring about our children… and I'm absolutely sure that your mom cares a lot about the three of you…"

* * *

After leave the horses back on the stables, Martha went into the house and found her sister laughing openly with Lionel while Rachel was sleeping on the couch.

"Hi" she said taking off her riding boots.

"Hi, Martha" Lionel said turning around to look at her.

"Hi, sis… Where are the guys?"

"Playing in the barn… they're alright" she muttered "I want to have a shower so… you can continue your laughing" she said, unable to dissimulate her upsetting, and climbing the stairs.

"Martha, wait!" Lionel said following her and making her stop at the top of the stairs.

"What's the matter, Lionel"

"Well… I came to see you"

"I wouldn't say that… It looked like you were having fun enough with my sister… just like yesterday before I came to your table…"

"I was just trying to be nice with her"

"Then… go and keep being nice with her and let me have my shower, please"

"But I don't…" and suddenly he began to laugh.

"What's the matter, now?"

"Nothing…" he said not able to stop his giggle.

"OH!" She lost her patience "You're…" but she didn't finish the sentence, just continued her way.

"You look gorgeous when you're jealous, you know" he said.

"I'm not jealous, I just…" but she got blocked so she changed the way of the conversation "What was the matter of your visit?" she wondered.

"Here…" and he handed her some papers "This is what I've found out about Elisabeth Hall"

"Hall?" she asked in a low voice knowing her sister was downstairs, and pulling Lionel into her room.

"That's her name now..." he said after she'd closed the door.

"But I thought the guy she married was called something like Turner…"

"Oh… yeah… that was her first husband… It's all on the papers… Peter Turner… Nice guy… He dead because of drugs after three months of marriage… Then she got pregnant and married the guy that supposedly was her son's father…"

"This Hall?"

"Yes… Thomas Hall… He's a nice guy too"

"You mean was…"

"No… I mean is…"

"But Elisabeth told me her husband was dead"

"Oh, no dear… He's alive, and searched in three states for robbery and dealing with drugs…"

"It must be an error! My sister… those kids can't have… oh my gosh" she let her body fell on the bed and Lionel sat down next to her.

"I know this is not what you expected to find out, but she's clean… except for some problems with drugs about ten years ago, there's nothing else in her files… really"

"Do you think she can be involved in something huge?"

"It's possible… I'm already looking for Mr. Hall, as soon as I find him I'll came back with more news" he stood up and walked to the door.

"Thank you, Lionel" Martha said before he left.

"It's always a pleasure…" he said "oh and… there's no reason to be jealous" he added winking at her before close the door.

.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Chapter 4

**Family reunion - 4**

**.**

Martha came downstairs after her shower with those papers on her hands and ready to ask her sister why she'd lied to her… but then Susan and Thomas passed in front of her playing catch and she decided it wasn't the moment. She kept the files in the hall's drawer and went into the kitchen to start preparing something for lunch.

"Hey, sis!" Elisabeth sat down in one of the stools "What was the matter a while ago?"

"What?" Martha wondered not turning around because she knew she would say something she shouldn't.

"You know… when you came in and the cutie was here... you sounded upset to me… Did I anything wrong?"

"No… of course not!" Martha said with too much sarcasm "You never do anything wrong, Elisabeth".

"Alright… I know I'm not the smart girl daddy wanted me to be, but I try to be nice…"

"Sometimes too much" Martha let go while cutting some bread.

"Oh! So that's the point! You think I was flirting with your boyfriend!"

"He's not my…!" she yelled out turning around with the knife on her hand and suddenly feeling pathetic.

"But you obviously like him…" Elisabeth pointed.

"I don't" Martha said with a very low tone of voice and turning around, back with the sandwiches she was making.

"You've never learnt to lie…" her sister said crossing the kitchen and sitting onto the furniture so she could face her sister "Has anything happened between you two already?"

"No… and anything will"

"Why?"

"'Cause…" she blushed and hided herself "… I'm at my forties, Elisabeth… that's why. What do you think that could happen with any man at my age?"

"I don't know… maybe the kind of thing that uses to happen between a guy and girl? Oh, come on, sis! You can't be serious! You need to have fun!"

"My husband dead just a few weeks ago"

"Almost three months, sis… You keep on saying that I haven't changed… well… obviously you have, because the Martha I knew followed her feelings and married a farmer at her twenties not caring about what people would think"

"It was different"

"I can't see any different… You like him and he likes you… That was enough then… and should be enough now"

Martha didn't reply. She took a dish and carried the sandwiches to the sitting room for the children. Elisabeth followed her, but Martha took her car keys and left without saying anything.

* * *

It wasn't until she found herself in front of him in the middle of his office that she didn't feel what a stupid thing she was doing.

"So… what have I to thank your visit to?" Lionel asked.

"I…" her voice trembled, she was so nervous.

"Please… sit down" he pointed the couch and Martha sat down "Would you like something to drink?"

"Lionel… you're interested on me, aren't you?" she suddenly asked, and continued talking not waiting for him to answer "I mean… I've noticed it… or at least, that's what it seems, but… I can't… I can't understand why".

"What do you mean?" Lionel said, needing to sit down because of the weirdness of the situation.

"What do you see on me? I mean… I'm over than forty, I'm old… I'm not the kind of girls or women that you used to appear in the magazines with… I'm… I'm the widow of a farmer… Why on earth would you want to have anything with me?"

"Why are you asking me this?" he wondered when she stopped to have some air.

"Because I was talking with my sister and… I like you, I mean… I…" her voice sound so desperate "I really enjoy spending time with you and playing this teenage flirting game with you when you come at the café but… we're not teenagers… I… I must have become crazy" she stood up taking her bag "I'm sorry… please… let's do like if this had never happened… please"

"You take out the best part of me" he said making her stop right when she reached the door.

"Excuse me?" she turned around and found Lionel looking at her, smiling.

"I'm Lionel Luthor, the unscrupulous multimillionaire that everybody is afraid of but… with you… I'm just Lionel" he stood up and walked towards her and held her hand with both of his "When you are involved everything is different, I can't think of anything else than you and your family or wellbeing… You take the best part of me and make me feel human…" he told "That's why I'm so _interested_ in you… as you said" he smiled again "No other women had awakened this kind of feeling on me and ever since the first time you did I can't think of anything else than you…" now he was looking directly into her eyes and she was looking directly into his and in the world there was nothing else than the color of their pupils and the soft wind of their breathings "And just because you asked… you're not old, I find you the most attractive woman in the world and nothing in earth would make me happier than being able to show you how much you mean for me"

She was gazing at his lips. His lips were begging to taste hers. And hers were trembling like the mouth of a little kid before taste a new flavor. Her eyes followed the movement of his hand, that joined the tension between their faces and caressed her shaking cheek, her cold ear and finally placed on her hair. The time seemed to go so slowly that he was able to follow her eyelids while they blinked, hiding for a while her shiny blue crystals, and showing them again shiner and bluer than they'd been before… It was when he noticed those eyelids not coming up again, when he finally kissed her and the time stopped, and when Martha opened her eyes again it didn't matter how many seconds, minutes or hours had passed because… the world seemed so different after had tasted his lips… she felt so different… so much better… so much happier…

They kept looking at each other for a while and then Martha made a step back, to the door.

"I should leave" she said.

"Alright" he muttered trying to not show his sadness on his face.

"This meant something, didn't it?" she asked looking at him from the frame door.

"Anything you want it to mean" Lionel answered, smiling.

"Then… maybe… we could meet this evening… for dinner?"

"I'll pick you up at seven" he said.

"Bye" she smiled and then left.

* * *

Clark was walking out the building after finishing his classes when noticed a familiar car at the entrance… His mother hadn't collected him since his last year of school so he thought something must had happened.

"Hi sweetheart" she said when he came into the car.

"Hi…" he said with a questioning voice "What's the matter mom?"

"Nothing… I just came to the city and thought we could come back together…" she told driving away.

"What did you have to do in Metropolis?" he wondered.

"I came… to talk with Lionel" she sighted, but she wasn't going to lie at her son.

"Oh…" he muttered.

"Clark…"

"Yes?"

"You know I loved your father, right?"

"Of course, mom…"

"Would you… would you change your mind if I… started dating someone?"

"No, mom, of course…" then he stopped, like if suddenly he'd put two and two together "You mean…?"

"I won't if you ask me, Clark… I…" she stopped the car in the middle of the road and looked at her son "You are and always will be the most important thing in my life, that's why I need to know… I don't want to hurt you doing something I don't even know if it's going to work…"

"I've noticed the looks you share with Lionel… I was trying to ignore them but… it was obvious that there was something going on between the two of you… I can't say I like it but… I can't ask you not to date him either…" he stopped a while and held his mother's hands "Just be careful not to get hurt…"

"Thank you, Clark!" she exclaimed embracing her son.

* * *

When they arrived home Martha kept the car keys in the hall's drawer and found the files about her sister. She closed it again. She decided she didn't want to argue with Elisabeth again and, maybe, the best way would be let her to tell the truth whenever she was ready.

.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Chapter 5

**Family reunion – 5**

**.**

Elisabeth was crossing the corridor when noticed her sister's room door opened and couldn't resist looking inside. She found Martha standing in front of the bed and looking at an amount of clothes and shoes.

"Are you going out, tonight?" she asked, coming in without knocking the door.

"I have… a date" she said, like if it was hard to pronounce that word.

"Oh… With the cutie of the limousine?"

"His name's Lionel…"

"I thought you were too old to have dates…"

"I guess I realized I'm not that old…"

"Do you need help to pick a dress?"

"I just don't know what to wear… I want to look… different… but not too much different, because… I don't want him to think anything wrong… Oh!" she sighted sitting down on the bed "I don't have dates since college!"

"Ok... don't worry… just tell me where you want to end the evening"

"What?"

"You want to end it back in your bed, or in his bed?"

"Oh, Elisabeth, please…!" Martha muttered blushing herself and letting go a giggle.

"Ok… then… what about this?" and she took out from the amount of clothes laying on the bed a golden long dress with a low neckline.

"I can't wear that"

"Of course you do… with the right bra and a beautiful necklace… Trust me, sis… with this dress and a few sexy looks you won't be back until tomorrow morning" she smiled and Martha blushed not replying "But we'll have to do something with your hair…"

"What's the matter with my hair?"

"The hair of a woman says more about her than anything else… So you need yours to say you're ready for an amazing night"

* * *

It was seven o'clock when Lionel rang the door bell of the Kent's house and Clark opened the door.

"Hi, Clark" Lionel said.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Lionel…"

"I was sure of it… and you wouldn't be the good son you are if you didn't" he replied still smiling.

"I really mean my words, Lionel…"

"I know…" and right then Elisabeth climbed down the stairs.

"Are you ready, guys?" she asked smiling and moving apart so they would be able to watch at Martha coming right behind her, wearing that golden long dress with a low neckline, with very high golden heels and a pearl necklace… Her hair was curled and felt on her shoulders flying on the air while she came downstairs.

"Hi…" she said blushing shyly.

"Mom… you look…"

"… gorgeous!" Lionel finished.

* * *

The next morning, Elisabeth and Clark were having breakfast in the Kent's kitchen when they listened to the front door opening.

Martha came in carrying her back and jacket on one hand and her shoes on the other one, trying not to make any noise.

"Good morning, mom" she heard after climbing the first step of the staircase.

"Hi" she said, blushing and stepping back to go into the kitchen "What are you two doing awake so early?"

"Rachel woke me up asking for her breakfast and I found this young boy waiting for you on the couch" Elisabeth told.

"Oh, sweetheart…" Martha muttered, leaving a kiss on Clark's cheek.

"I was worried…"

"I was fine… the night was… great" she smirked blushing and leaving her things on the table.

"I'm sure it was…" Elisabeth said taking Martha's bra from her opened handbag.

"Oh , my…!" Martha exclaimed quickly hiding it again.

"I want to know all the details" her sister declared sitting down in front of her.

"I don't want to listen to them, so I better go to have a nap" Clark said kissing his mother's forehead and leaving the two women alone.

"Where did you go for dinner?"

"He took me to a French restaurant with views of the city… there was an orchestra and we were dancing until I couldn't stand on my feet…" Martha told not able to stop smiling.

"And after that…"

"His limousine was waiting for us and we went to the viewpoint where the lake can be seen from… There we had a glass of champagne and a lovely talk looking at the stars…"

"And…" Elisabeth asked impatiently.

"Before go back into the car he said he would drive me home if I asked so, but that he had planned to finish our evening somewhere else…"

"Well… you obviously didn't ask to come back, so… what had he planned?"

"I told him I would let him to surprise me and he took me to a luxury cabin he'd rent near the lake so we could have some… intimacy…"

"And?"

"And what?" Martha wondered.

"What else? What happened in there?"

"I can't tell you that"

"Of course you can… Did he go very fast?"

"He lighted the fireplace and we had some vine while the conversation started to have fewer words and more caresses…" Martha told blushing more and more "We did on the floor" she confessed on a whisper followed by a shy giggle "It was… great… I'd never…" but then she shut up herself regretting that word "I hadn't had such a great sex in a long time"

"Wow… Congratulations, sis… so… on the floor, uh?"

"And on the couch… and the bedroom… and in the kitchen while having breakfast" she added with another giggle and beating her lips shyly.

"WHILE having breakfast?" Elisabeth asked and Martha nodded.

"He's so… Oh! I feel like twenty years younger!" Martha exclaimed and Elisabeth laughed.

"I'm happy for you, Martha… really…"

"I have to say thank you… because I wouldn't have the courage without you, Beth…" and she noticed her sister staring at her "What?"

"You called me Beth…"

"You stopped calling me sis"

They both smiled and embraced each other, and didn't let go that sweet hug while they began to cry and then to laugh, drying each other's cheeks with trembling eyes.

"I've missed you a lot all these years… and I've always wanted to tell you about the kids but… you know… every day had passed more time and… I can be so stubborn sometimes…"

"I missed you too…" Martha said embracing her sister again and kissing her cheek "I could have tried to look for you better but, I guess I was kind of afraid of what to say after finding you, too"

"Martha…" Elisabeth said after a short silence "I haven't been sincere with you and… there's something I should tell you…"

"Tell me…" Martha said sitting down and inviting her sister to sit down in front of her.

"I came here because I needed to run away from my husband and I had nowhere to go…" she left a while of silence before continue like letting time for Martha to understand "He's never been a nice guy… I knew it and I have marks that can show it… but he'd never been bad with the kids, and provided money for us to live…"

"What happened? What changed?"

"A few months ago, while I was pregnant, I came back home from work when I listened to Susan screaming… Tom was in a friend's house, so she was with her father… I run into her room and found Thomas trying to abuse from her… his own daughter! My daughter!" Elisabeth yelled out breaking down into tears "I became mad… I grabbed Tom's baseball bat and hit his head… He was drunk, he couldn't even resist and after I hit him again he felt unconscious… I don't know how I didn't kill him… I tool Susan with me at a friend's house and the kids and me spent the night there, but the next morning Thomas came to collect us like if anything had happened…"

"Why didn't you left at that moment?"

"I tried… but he found us again, and he was so upset with me that he almost made me lose Rachel… There were no more incidents, anyway, I didn't left Sue alone with him again… But when the baby was born and I found out it was a girl I decided I had to run away from him… And then you appeared on the news after the elections… but I couldn't appear right after Jonathan's death… so I waited a few time while preparing everything to leave…"

"Oh Beth… my little sister…" Martha cupped her face trying to smile and kissed her forehead "Is Susan alright, I mean… have you taken her to any doctor… or?"

"I took her to a doctor when the police told me I couldn't report my husband without proofs, but he never touched her… the doctor told me there was no signal of any sexual abuse so… I arrived on time that day… They told me I should take her to psychologist for a few sessions… but I hadn't the money, and I couldn't ask Thomas… so…"

"I'll pay for that… I don't accept a no." Martha said "What about Thomas… you think he's looking for you all now?"

"Oh… I'm sure, he is…" she said smiling.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I needed money for the travel… and I wasn't sure you would let us stay, so…" she stopped and then continued "I took the money he'd earned with his last deal before leave…"

"What?" Martha exclaimed.

"I couldn't stay with him anymore… and I had no money… Don't worry… he had to give part of that money to his boss, and since he couldn't do that… he must be dead right now…" they listened to Rachel crying again and Elisabeth went upstairs leaving Martha alone in the kitchen with the thought of an angry drug dealer abandoned and betrayed husband looking for her sister and nieces…

.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Chapter 6

**Family reunion – 6**

**.**

**.**

"Honestly, I have to hang up, sweetheart… My dad's going to come at any minute and I'd like to have the dinner ready for when everybody's home" Martha said to the phone.

"I won't care about the dinner if I have the deserts I've been waiting for during the whole day" Lionel's voice replied from the other side, provoking a giggle on Martha.

"I'm sure you don't… but I won't be able to give you the deserts you're thinking on if I have three kids asking me for something to eat"

"What about their mother?"

"Beth is working at the Talon while the other waitress is on holidays… That's why I asked my father to come now… I need to talk with him about my sister… he has to meet the kids, I mean… they are his grandchildren, I'm sure he'll change his mind about Beth after see them"

"I wish I could be there with you… Good luck with your father, remember to stay calm, ok? I'll be there soon."

"Love you, bye bye" they sent each other a kiss and Martha hung up the phone. Then, she heard Susan yelling at the sitting room, and Tom suddenly came into the kitchen in a race.

"Aunt Martha, aunt Martha!"

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked thinking someone had hurt himself.

"It's… is… our father… he's here" the boys said before his sister came in and embraced Martha's waist, frightened.

Martha took a look through the window and noticed a car parked and a tall blonde man coming to the house.

"Alright" she said "Tom, I need you to take your sisters with you and hide in the barn, alright?"

"B-but…" Sue muttered terrified.

"Susan, take the baby and go with your brother to the burn, ok? Everything will be alright… I won't let him hurt you, he won't touch you… I promise"

While the kids were leaving by the backdoor, she grabbed the telephone and dialed Clark's mobile phone number, but he didn't answer. Before she could dial it again, the doorbell rang.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked to the tall man standing at the porch.

"Hello, Senator… I'm looking for Beth"

"My sister's not home yet. Who's asking for her?"

"Her husband"

Martha tried to stay calm in front of that bastard.

"I don't think she'd like to attend you even if she was here, so I'll kindly ask you to leave, Mr. Hall" and she made to close the door, but he stopped her.

"I'm not here for a visit… I came to take my money back"

"Ok… stay here" she said, and she went into the living room. When she came back with a roll of bills he was in the middle of the hall and had closed the door. "How much does she owe you?"

"Three thousand bucks"

"I'll give you five thousands, if you leave her alone" she said handing him part of the money.

"Let's make it a six" he added taking the rest of the bills from her hand and keeping the money in his pocket "Now… let's call your sis and ask her to come"

"No! Take the money and disappear"

"You don't understand…" he said suddenly grabbing her hair "She took my money and my children and disappeared" and he pushed Martha against the wall corner and then to the ground. "I'll make her pay for that"

With a bleeding lip and the feel that her nose was broken, Martha tried to escape crawling but he grabbed her by her arm and made her stand up.

"Come on" he pushed her against the kitchen's furniture and grabbed the phone "Make sure to choose the right words"

"Do you really think I'll make my sister come so you can beat her up?" she mocked, and he grabbed her wrist and beat her hand against the furniture corner making her moan of pain while she felt every little bone of her hand breaking.

"Would you please make that call?"

* * *

William Clark didn't know why her daughter had invited him for dinner, and even less why she had insisted on him for coming early. They hadn't talked to each other since Jonathan's death, when he called her to say he was sorry but, she had got upset because he hadn't attended the funeral.

He came out his car and walked to the house with a flowers bouquet with the intention of finally solution their problems now that Jonathan wasn't in the middle of their father and daughter relationship. He knew it was late for apologies but, if she'd called him it could just be for fixing things.

"Sir, sir!" a childish voice just shouted. Mr. Clark turned around and saw a young boy, about eleven years old, approaching him. "Sir, he… she… hurt… you have…" the boy talked without any sense.

"Calm down, boy…" William rested a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes "Now breathe hard, and tell me what's wrong"

"Our father in the house and is gonna hurt Martha"

Mr. Clark was confused, but that boy was obviously frightened, so he left the bouquet on the ground and walked stealthily to the house. Through the kitchen's window he could see her daughter with a strange guy attacking her, so he went back to the front door and opened it carefully not to make any noise.

"You're crazy" Martha muttered into tears, trying to bear the pain, while he handed her the phone. She took it on her hand, and threw it to the ground.

"You're nothing but another whore, just like her" he grabbed her shirt and tore it up at one pull. Martha fought him, but her hand was sore and he was stronger… He pushed her to the ground and began undoing his trousers when all of a sudden a shadow appeared behind him and hit his head causing him to fall unconscious next to her.

She broke down into tears while her mysterious savior helped her to stand up, and once she was up his face became clear for her.

"Dad" she sobbed while he embraced her.

"Are you ok?" he asked receiving a nod by answer. Then she broke the embrace and went outside to tell the kids they could come out from their hideout. She sat on the porch's stairs and they hugged her happy to see she was fine.

"The police and an ambulance are coming now" Mr. Clark told joining his daughter outside.

"Thanks dad… if you hadn't appeared I…" she was going to cry again but seeing the kids, she made an effort to smile.

"Thank god nothing happened" he said sitting next to Martha and rounding her shoulders with his arm "So… who are these friends of yours?" he wondered looking at the three kids that were now playing a few steps forwards.

"They are… They are your grandchildren, dad… That's why I asked you to come"

"I don't understand… you adopted them?"

"No, dad… they are Beth's kids, and the man inside… He's their father. Elisabeth came to me running away from him"

"They are my grandchildren…" he repeated in a whisper.

"Yes dad, they are… and they are lovely kids, really… you'll quickly fall in love with them"

* * *

The police took Thomas hall with them, and the ambulance guys took Martha to the hospital because of her broken hand, so Mr. Clark had to stay at the farm with the kids on his own.

"Mom, you're ok?" Clark asked coming into the room where the nurse had said his mother would be.

"She's fine" Lionel answered. Martha had called him to tell what had happened and wondering if he could pick her up, Clark had learned about it after calling back to the farm and being answered by his granddad.

The only person who was still unaware of that afternoon incidents was Beth, who went back home after work thinking she would find everybody ready for dinner and was surprised when after coming in she found her father fitting her baby while Tom and Sue were watching the television.

Father and daughter looked at each other like if they were trying to recognize on them the person they'd seen twelve years ago, the last time they'd met. And without saying a word, they walked towards each other and melted in a sweet embrace in the middle of the sitting room.

.

THE END.


End file.
